The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Edo State Council, Comrade Pullen Noruwa has commended Governor Godwin Obaseki’s effort on the recently concluded pensioners verification exercise by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), adjudging it as the best the country has had.
Comrade Noruwa gave this remark on Wednesday when he led the executive members of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.
He also expressed satisfaction at the hospitality of the process as participants were seen going home with extra packs of food, soft drinks and other items.
Noruwa said the verification process was well organised and the welfare of pensioners was given due consideration during the process.
The Chairman, however, appealed to the state government to review the state of the Edo State Pension Board by creating a Pension Bureau as alternative means to settle pension issues especially on cases of pensioners not able to access their files.
Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki admonished pensioners to remain confident, adding that his administration is determined to pay all arrears owned to them.
“I want to assure you that l am on your side. We have to make you comfortable; that is the service we owe you, as a government, having served the state”.
The governor, who expressed optimism that the rest of the process would be successful, said the only way to nip future crisis in the bud that may originate from non-payment of pension was to key into the contributory pension fund to grant the pensioners access to their pension fund as soon as they are retired.
In addition, he noted that action was being taken to ensure the 2014 and 2015 pensioners’ arrears were settled, saying that Heads of Local Government Administration had been instructed to generate revenue to settle their current obligations instead of relying on bailout from the federal government.
He also disclosed that pensioners would adequately be captured to ensure that the government addresses the issues of pension harmonisation.
